This is a pretty area that offers a lake for water-based recreation (boating, fishing, a swimming…read morebeach, plus ice fishing when conditions allow during the winter) and woodlands to enjoy. There are three trails, varying in length from the 0.5 mile Cherry Tree Trail to the 3.5 mile Buckeye Trail. There's a nice looking camping area with both electric and nonelectric sites, some of which have great views of the lake and easy boat access for kayaks/canoes/etc., and a fun playground fro the kids. There are some nice picnic areas with tables and benches available in scenic areas. The one we used also had a great shelterhouse with several tables available and was reservable, though there were no events at the time of our visit. Very nice park!

Disappointing. My family has been coming here for 40+years and it was always a great place as a…read morekid. Now it's just run down. So much potential going to waste. There use to be activities for the kids like nature center with animals, hikes and a theater. Now nothing. No rangers at the office all day if you need them. The lights wouldn't work in the shower house but couldn't tell anyone. Also the beach is disgusting with geese poop everywhere and no life guard.

The property is massive, with wide open landscapes and views that stretch far across the hills…read more Waking up in the morning and looking out over the terrain was one of the highlights of the trip. It almost feels like stepping into another environment entirely, especially knowing the area is dedicated to wildlife conservation. Our campsite was quiet and well spaced out, which made it easy to enjoy the surroundings without constant noise from nearby groups. At night, the sky was incredibly clear, and the lack of city lights made stargazing surprisingly good. Facilities were simple but adequate, which fits the outdoor-focused setting. Everything we needed was available, and the grounds were kept in good condition. The staff we encountered were welcoming and clearly proud of the property, offering helpful guidance about the area. Camping at The Wilds is more than just pitching a tent--it's an opportunity to spend time in a unique natural environment that feels both peaceful and expansive. It's a great destination if you're looking for something a little different from the usual campground experience.

I stayed overnight at The Wilds in the Grand Yurt! OMG what a wonderful, magical, relaxing,…read morefabulous glamping experience -- my first glamping! My incredible Yurt had bathroom, air conditioning, and a bed! I woke at 5am to see the sunrise and was not disappointed. The deer were calling (they sound like a mix of boar and moose calls) all night and it put me right to sleep LOL Dinner and breakfast are included along with a Safari tour. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience! Every team member I met was friending and inviting ensuring my visit was all I wanted it to be. I met a couple celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary and they were glamping and took two safari tours ;) I highly recommend you stop for a Safari trip and maybe even stay the night!

The USDA Forest Service website is really confusing for this recreational area, which apparently…read moreconsists of several unlinked areas across southeastern Ohio. The address for this listing is for the Marietta Unit, which was the closest official address I could find. I'm still not totally sure where the trailhead was (obviously, I was not the one who drove up), but the trail we took was the "Scenic River Trail." There wasn't much of a view due to all of the trees still being leafy, but it was a good challenging hike. We actually did not make it to the end of the trail, and I'm not really sure how far we went since the trail did not seem to have mile markers. There were the yellow diamond trail markers and some posts in the ground, but neither were labeled. It would be lovely to take the trail again when the leaves start to change, and again when the leaves are down and you can actually see the "Scenic River."

I've been coming to Raccoon Creek State Park for over 50 years now, and it's one of those rare…read moreplaces that has somehow kept its magic across generations. My earliest memories from the 1970s are filled with the smell of charcoal smoke at the picnic groves and the freezing shock of jumping into the lake on hot summer afternoons. As a kid, that beach felt massive, and a simple day trip with packed lunches (the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches melted to goodness from the sun) and blankets spread out on the grass was the best part of summer with my sisters and mom. As I grew into adulthood, the way I used the park changed, but I never stopped going. I didn't always go swimming but instead would explore the miles of hiking trails. The best part, though, was getting to experience it all over again through my daughter's eyes. Taking her there when she was little and watching her hit the water and run around the playground were special times indeed. Raccoon Creek isn't just a park to me; it's a constant in my life. Over five decades later, facilities might get updated here and there, but the familiar feeling of the place hasn't changed a bit. It's serene, nostalgic, and always feels like coming home.

Raccoon Creek is a short drive from the city and an amazing escape into nature! I've camped here a…read morefew times and love how easy and accessible it is for so many reasons. The bathrooms are close by the camp sites and clean! Plus they have hot water for showering. The water pump for drinking water is fresh and better than my tap at home. The lake is so nice and the ice cream stand is the best (bring cash). Definitely recommend booking the camp sites closest to the trail that takes you to the beach. It's about a 15 minute hike, but so much nicer than driving 15 minutes to the beach.

Marietta is a charming river town. So why go to a cemetery? Best I can say is it's like a piece of…read morehistory really. And in Marietta, the entire town is rich with history from the Indians and America during the pre- and post-Revolutionary War. You can't throw a stick without hitting a street named after one of Washington's generals, and many soldiers settled here with free land in lieu of pay from General Washington's army. The mound is a big hill built by the Indians. After driving down bumpy cobblestone roads lined with homes that look like Martha Washington might come out onto the porch at any minute, you come upon the Mound Cemetery, nestled among the homes looking quite like it belongs there is the Mound Cemetery, bordered with an ancient looking wrought iron gate that at once says both KEEP OUT and "welcome." Odd that. Climbing the stairs to summit the Mound is part of your initiation to the Marietta culture. The stairs are steep, which adds to the allure. Once atop, the scene is one of history, art, tranquility, and ... Marietta. Other than lounging in the Gun Room at The Lafayette downtown, it doesn't get much more Marietta than this.

I had read something about this but didn't think we'd have time to go; then we ended up parking…read moreright beside it for a basketball game at the college. After the game, just at sunset, we walked back and decided to go in. I've always had a thing for mounds, perhaps starting from visiting Mound City and Serpent Mound as a kid. I wish it had been a bit more light so we could read the tombstones, but there are clearly some pretty old ones here. The cemetery surrounds the mound, and sits in a residential neighborhood with a low fence. You can only enter at two points, which made for a bit of a walk in the cold. We climbed to the top of the mound where there are a few benches and a nice view. It's cool that this (presumably funerary) mound is preserved, and surrounded by, well, an appropriate companion. A nice little cap to our Marietta visit. We'll have to get back sometime.

if I could give 20 stars, I would. This place is truly a hidden treasure. The campground is…read morebeautiful with all full hookup sites. The bath houses are always clean. They have one of the best campground pole I have ever been to with some great waterslides. Craig the manager is super friendly and welcoming. You can tell he really enjoys his job. Brittany is the manager of the zipline and ropes courses. When no one else would do the swing with me, she did. She is great and fun. we were able to take a tour of the houses and cabins. They are all beautiful inside. Truly our favorite place for a local camping trip! And don't forget to get ice cream and swing on the almond heaven swing, after playing a game of putt putt golf!!!

I visited the park just for the scenic view on a Sunday evening in mid-June 2025. First, the vista…read moreis really pretty where you can see the deep bend in the Ohio River, the town of Moundsville below, and the surrounding hills. Second, the scenic trail is easy to access from the end of the parking lot (follow signs or your Google map). Third, it was not very crowded when I visited - just 3 people hanging out. If you are in the area of Moundsville to visit the Grave Creek Mound, why not take an extra 10 minutes to drive up to Grand Vue? That said, if you are in a hurry to get somewhere, this is not necessarily worth a stop as the highlight is simply the easily accessible view itself.

One of our favorite outdoor spots. A shaded waterfall area, shallow pool and creek and smooth…read moretrails. There is also a path to the top of the waterfall. The kids have fun for hours here. Some nice benches and plenty of large rocks to hang out on. Parking is just across the road and there are a few porta potties by the parking. The waterfall isn't far once you get on the trail. The river is a farther walk but does have a very strong current so no swimming over there.

Neat little stop. Wasn't much water when we stopped tho. Hiking areas in the woods and some neat…read morerock formations.

I recently learned that you should always be open minded to the suggestions on the billboards on…read morethe highway. We saw a sign mentioning the Palace of Gold on the way to Pittsburgh so we decided to make a detour and check it out. My first impression was how beautiful it was. Most of the building is indeed gold colored so there was no false advertising there. They also do tours of the palace so you can get an in depth look of the palace. The tour guide did an amazing job. What I really enjoyed was how quiet peaceful it was. There was a lot more to do than look at the temple. You could take a walk, visit the temple for worship and just enjoy the Mountain View. Everything was very relaxing. We loved it visit to the Palace of Gold. Such a hidden gem!

I'm a little torn on this review to be honest and it's kind of a hard one to write because the…read morePalace of Gold is definitely beautiful, but overall my experience wasn't the greatest. I visited in winter, which meant no flowers were in bloom in the gardens and the outdoor space was pretty gloomy with the exception of a very cool bug that I found on the steps. The seasons definitely change the atmosphere and I imagine that in spring or summer it feels much more vibrant and alive here. The palace itself is lovely with intricate details and ornate interiors and very much what I expected stylistically. However, it wasn't nearly as grand in scale as I had imagined. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. When you step inside the front lobby area, there are gorgeous stained glass windows and beautiful decor and I really enjoyed the light coming through into that space and being able to take photographs in there. The woman inside asked us on a few occasions if we wanted to take the tour and I wasn't sure until we saw the lobby area. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment was for me was finding out -- only after paying -- that photography wasn't actually allowed inside. That was tough and had I known I definitely would have made a different decision. Personally, I would have been just as happy taking photos of the exterior and I would have saved myself a lot of money. The tour is a little costly considering that you're just accessing a very small area and although the information was somewhat interesting, I had already read the majority of it beforehand. After the tour I was excited to head over to where they keep the cows, which are considered sacred here, because I had read that guests are sometimes allowed to help feed them. Unfortunately (again) it's only during a specific time of day and there wasn't anyone around that I could talk to, but I was able to see the cows through the fence and they were absolutely adorable. We were advised during the tour that we were welcome to go to the lunch offering near the housing area and we did try to find what the tour guide had described, but there were no clear signs. When we did eventually locate the area where they were serving some food, it felt very uncomfortable, like we had wandered somewhere we weren't meant to be. We definitely didn't feel like we belonged there and left almost immediately. Overall, the palace itself is really beautiful and historically interesting and although I don't subscribe to the beliefs of the people here, I do respect what it represents to them. Between the cost and the no photo surprise and the general feeling of uncertainty throughout our visit, we just spent much of our time here wandering and feeling uncomfortable. The welcome center wasn't very welcoming, the peacock walk had no peacocks and the chanting and yelling of Krishna devotees can be a frightening experience to those new to it. This is worth seeing once, hopefully in a season where it's full of flowers and sunshine and beauty. I just suggest you manage your expectations and definitely make it clear that you are not there to be converted.

Confusing to navigate. We tried to use gps and the spots marked on it do not take you to the fire…read moretower. We eventually found a paper map and found our way to the lake. It is a pretty area. The roads can be gravel in some places.

best part about blue rock state park? we went during the week and there was nobody there, the fire…read moretower was deserted so easy to get up to (beware your car if it doesn't have done oomph, there IS loose gravel on the steep roads!!!) you can tell it's foothills and get the general feel of a small mountain area without having the severe altitude you do just a few miles to the east! already working on planning another trip back next year!!!